Stamp-vending machine.



STAMP VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1908.

954,816, Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

5 SHEBTS-SHEET 1.

F 16- l x2 1 LXZ 11 1772 e .9 5 e a 6%;07 a 9K glint )6 X092 96. gm wf i/i/ wT-WZS I S. L. LONG.

STAMP VENDING MACHINE. I

APPLICATION IILED AUG. 17, 1908.

m M M w U My M j J/ S. L. LONG.

STAMP VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1908.

954,81 6. V Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fl wmz r. ll ljn 05$ 66'. (152M974 2023 55 413 WWMLgS I ag WM gmwmww S. L. LONG.

' STAMP VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1908.

954,8 1 6, Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E 'lIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIII/h- S. L. LONG. STAMP VENDING MACHINE. AlPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1?, 190a.

m a w m 2 m 1 L m p E A n s d 5 .w m film \VVX P a N .N i .955 IE? 1. t 2 g 2 6 M fa 5 u 0 6 1 .g RN L 4 2 5 9 JMWayffi a h aim/ML Mm M d M Ma- SIDNEY L. LONG, 01? MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

STAMP-VENDING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1910.

Application filed August 17, 1908. Serial No. 448 809.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY L. LONG, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp- Vending Machines, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved machine for vending stamps, tickets, and similar articles which are capable of being printed on a strip or ribbon and cut into sections in the process of delivery.

To the above ends, the invention consists ofthe novel devices and combinations of de-' vices hereinafter described and defined in the claims. I -1n the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referrmg to the drawings; Figure l is a rear elevation of the improved machine, with some parts broken away, and with the back of the case removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken from front to rear of the machine, on the line m m of Fig. 1, and showing the parts in their normal positions, some parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is asectional view correspondin to Fig. 2, but illustrating different positions of the parts. Fig. 4 is a detail view in section, on the line m x of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section, taken from front to rear of the machine, on the line m x of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section, taken approximately on the line a) w of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 6, with some parts removed. Fig. 8 is a detail view in rear elevation, showing the knife and actuating connections therefor; and Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line an m of Fig. 8.

All of the operative parts ofthe machine are contained within a suitable case 1 which,

as shown and preferred, is of rectangular form, being provided with a detachable back plate 1.

The articles to be vended, which we will assume to be stamps, are printed or formed ona ribbon 2 having slots or perforations 3 between the individual stamps. This ribbon-is Wound upon a reel 4, the shaft 5 of which is journaled. in one side of asupporting frame 6 that is provided with a crank 7, by means of which latter, the said ribbon may be readily wound upon the said reel. This ribbon- 2, the unwound portion of which in Figs. 2, 3 and 6 is indicated by dotted lines, is passed upward, asshown, first over a guide 'S-on oneedge ofthe support 6, and thence upward and forward over a guide plate 9, the downwardly curved rear end of which is secured tothe upper end of a supporting pedestal 10, the base of which latter is rigidly secured to a bearing plate 11 which, in turn, is secured to the top of the supporting frame 6. This bearing. plate 11 a vertically extended side plate 18,.for purposes which willpresently appear.

From the guide'plate 9, the ribbon 2 extends over a skeleton support made up of a multiplicity of r0d's-14, the front ends of which, as shown, are secured to the-horizontal flange of an angle bar 15, which: latter is rigidly secured to a short heavy anvil bar 16. This anvil bar 16 has laterally spaced upwardly extended side portions 17 formed of a knife or shearing blade 19 aremounted for vertical movement. The said anvil bar ,16is rigidly secured to the upper portion of the front plate 12, and the beveled lower edge of the said knife blade- 19 cooperates with the sharp upper front edge of the .socalled anvil bar 1'6-to cut off as much of the end of the ribbon 2 as may be projected.- fordescends.

The knife blade 19,- whenreleased, is, as shown, arranged to-be moved quickly down ward by a pair of coiled springs 20 attached thereto at their upper ends and connected at their lower ends to screws 21 applied to the sides 17 of the anvil bar 16, as best shown in Fig. 8. V

- Secured at its ends to they sides 17 of the bar 15 isa small bar 22 to which laterally spaced spring fingers 23 are secured. These spring fingers 23 are arranged to press the 'sides of the ribbon 2 down onto the upper surface of the anvil bar 16.

The knife blade 19 carries a short angle bar 24. from which depends a presser foot 25, preferably of rubber, or similar pliable material, which is-arranged to work between the spring fingers 23 and to firmly clamp has a vertically extended front plate 12 and with vertical grooves 18 in which the ends ward of the said bar 16 when the s'aidblade I anvil bar 16 and extending above the angle the end of the ribbon onto the anvil bar 16 when said knife blade is down.

The knife blade 19 is connected by a link 26 to a lever 27 that is intermediately pivoted to one of the sides 17, as best shown in Fig. 8.

The free end of the lever 27 is pivoted to a wrist pin 28 that is adjustably connected to the slotted upper end of a depending tripping bar 29, the lower end of which works in a bifurcated guide 30, secured to the front plate 12. At its extreme lower end, the tripping bar 29 is provided with a rearwardly projecting arm 31, one edge of which is beveled, as best shown in Fig. 4. A light coiled spring 32 (see Fig. 1), which is attached to the guide 30 and to the lower end of the tripping bar 29, yieldingly holds the lower end of the latter in its extreme position toward the left, as shown in Fig. 1.

The numeral 33 indicates ,a cam block 'which is pivoted at 34 to the front plate 12,

and is adjustably connected thereto, at its lower end portion, by means of a slot and screw connection .35 shown in Fig. 1. This cam block 33 stands in position to engage the lower end of the tripping bar 29, when the latter is depressed, and thereby forcehead and lever, the said head is yieldingly held in its normal position shown in Figs. 2 and 6, in which position a depending portion of said head engages with a stop 40 on said lever 37 The upper surface of the head 38 is approximately fiat and is transversely extended, and, as preferably constructed, is provided with shallow grooves 41 in which the wires 14 loosely rest. Between the wires 14 and at its forwardly projecting edge, the head 38 is provided with one or more (as shown) feed pins or projections 42 that are adapted to enter and project through the slots 3 of the ribbon 2. At one side and I spent secured to the front plate 12 and to at its forward portion, the feed head 38 is provided with another pin or projection 43 ,which, when the lever 27 and head 38 are moved into their extreme positions (shown in Fig. 3) is adapted to be engaged by the free end of a spring tripping hook 44 which is applied to the right hand side portion 17 of the anvil bar 16. For this construction, see particularly Figs. 2, 3 and 7.

The extreme movements of the ribbon feeding lever 37 are adjustably but positively limited by an opposings'et screw 45 applied to lugs of a stop bar 46 which, as shown, is rigidly secured to a horizontal rearwardly extended projection 47 of the front plate 12.

wardly projecting arm 52 that works in the 0 en intermediate portion of a bifurcated link 53, the forward end of which is pivotally connected to the upper portion of the feed lever 37. 'At its upper end, the arm 52 is provided with transversely projecting pins or studs 54 that work in slots 55 formed in the sides of the link 53. Also, the upper end of said arm 52 is preferably slightly rounded for engagement with the opposing head of a pair of spring pressed bolts 56 that work loosely through transverse connecting portions 57 of the bifurcated link 53.

At its right hand end (in respect to Fig. 1), the rock shaft 49 is provided with a knife actuatin arm 58 that cooperates with the arm 31 o the tripping bar 29, and is beveled at one edge as shown in Fig. 4. Preferabl a light coiled spring 59 connects the ever 37 to the pedestal bearing 48.

To hold the flexible ribbon 2 down upon the upper surface of the feed head 38 and to thereby yieldingly press the same at a multiplicity of points so as to insure engagement of the feed pins 42 of said head with theslots 3 of said ribbon, without danger of damage to the said ribbon, I provide a soft brush 60, the back solid upper portion of which is pivotally connected to an arm 61 which, as shown, is pivotally connected at 62 to the bar 22'before described. The brush is thus fairly held on top of the ribbon and. is pivoted so that it may adapt itself to the ribbon and maintain roper engagement therewith when the said ribbon is fed for ward by a forward movement of the lever 37 and head 38.

The numeral 63 indicates an inclined same into a trough-like receptacle 64 secured on the outside 0 the case.

So far as this invention is concerned, any

suitable coin actuated controlling mechanism maybe employed. Preferably, however, I employ as such means the coin-actuated mechanism disclosed and claimed in m prior patent No. 816,107, of date March 27th, 1906, entitled Coin controlled vending machine. I

For the purposes of this'case, it is only necessary to state that when a coin Zis deposited in a receiving chute 65 (see Fig. 5),

' hook 71 that isadapted to be engaged with I the arm 51 of the operating lever 50, when a coin is dropped onto the head 67. A light coiled spring 72 .connects the lever 68 to the lever 70 and normally holds the hook 71 disengaged from the arm 51. A much stronger coiled spring .73 connects the lever 50 to the side plate 13 and 'yieldingly holds the latter in its uppermost position shown in Fig. '5. A stop 74, on the plate 13, holds the coin engaged with the head 67 until the latter is moved downward by a movement of the said lever 50; and the said head 67 can be moved downward only when a coin deposited thereon has caused the hook 71 to engage the arm 51, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The lever 70 carries a spring pressed intermediatel held dog 75 that cooperates with a fixe notched flan e 76 on the plate 13 to afford a full stroke evice of v the lever 50 and parts carried thereby.

bolt 56 and, operatin .of the latter carry the ribbon 2 From what has been said, it will be understood that the normally loose operating lever 50.is locked to the rock shaft 49 by means of I the hook 71 when a coin is deposited on the head 67 of the lever 68-, and when this is accomplished, a downward movement of the said operating lever 50 will rock the said shaft in a direction to carry its arm 52 forward and its arm 58 downward. The downward movement of the arm 58 acts nnmed1- 29, an through said bar and the lever 27 and link 26 raises the knife blade 19 against the tension of the springs 20- andthereby releases the presser foot 25 from the ribbon and afi'ords an opening under the-knife so that the ribbon may be fed theproper distance over the anvil bar 16 and underthe knife. While the knife is thus being given .its initial upward movement, the pins 58 of.

the arm 52 move in the slots 55 of the link 53 leaving the feeding lever 37 held in its normal position by the tension of the light spring 59; but when the said knife has been sutficlently raised, the upper end of the lever 52 strikes the head of the forward yielding through the latter, moves the feed lever 3 and its head 38 forward, under which movement the ins 42 orward under the knife a distance represented by the space between the slots 3thereof, or, in other words, far enough to project one stamp beyond the knife blade. This movement of the lever 37 is positively limited by the steps 45, and if the movementof the arm 52' be greater than required for this movement, the s ring of the enga ed bolt will simply be s ightly compresse .at the 37 in a forward direction has been inter-' cepted, as will be noted from the following statement.

After the knife blade 19 has been sulficiently raised and the ribbon has been given its complete forward movement,'a slightly further downward movement of the tripping bar 29 causes the cam block 33 to force the arm 31 laterally out of engagement with the arm 58, so that the knife blade is released and quickly thrust downward by the springs 20, thereby cutting off the stamp or projected portion of the ribbon. When the rock shaft 49 and parts. carried thereby are subsequently returned to normal positions; the beveled edge of the arm 58, moving upward, operates on the beveled edge of the arm 31, thereby again moving the latter sidewise so, that the former may clear the same and again assume the normal positions shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

' When the feed lever 37 reaches its extreme forward position, shown in Fig.3, the tripping hook 44 engages the pin 43 of the feed hea 38, so that when the said lever .37 is given its return movement the said head will be rocked downward against the tension of its spring 39 and thereby disengage the feed pins 42 from the slot of the ribbon with which they were engaged under forward or feeding movements. .Also, it is important to note that when the arm 37 and its head 38 are given return or rearward movements, the

ribbon. is held against return movement by the presser foot 25 which then holdsthe latter tightly pressed against the anvil bar 16.

The return of the said lever 37 toits normal positionis effected by engagement with the arm 52, the latterpart of its rearward movement, with the rearmost spring pressed bolt 56, the s ring 39f which wil' be slightly compresse when the said lever is engaged with the rearmost stop 45. When the head 38-neaches its normal position, its feed pins 42 will engage with the slot 3 of the ribbon 2 which is nearest to the previously out edge or end of said ribbon, so that the feed head is then in proper engagement with the ribbon to impart the next forward step of movement thereto. e I

By adjustment of the stops or screws 45, the extent of movement that will be imparted to the ribbon may be varied. By adustments of the cam lock 43, the exact time at which the knife blade will be released, in respect to movements of the other parts, will be varied. By adjustments of the pivotal connection between the tripping bar 29v and the lever 27, the time at which the-upward movement of the knife will begin may be varied, in respect to the downward movement of the lever 50.

What I claim is 2-- 1. In-a vending machine, the combination with a knife, of a vibratory feed lever provided with a longitudinally projecting pivoted head yieldingly held for pivotal movement under return movement of said lever and provided with an outwardly extended pin. or projection engageable with slots or erforations in a ribbon, means for vibratin said feed lever and means for holding said ribbon while said feed lever and its pivotal head are given return movement.

2. In a vending machine, the combination with a knife and means for intermittently actuating the same, of an oscillatory feed lever provided with a pivoted head yieldingly held for pivotal movement under retuin movement of said lever and provided with a feed inor projection engageable with slots or perfdrations in a ribbon, to feed the same to said knife, a relatively fixed tripping hook engageable with said pivotal head to move the same pivotally under initial return movement of said feed lever and thereby disengage the same from said ribbon, means for holding said ribbon while said feed lever and its pivotal head are given return movement, and means for oscillating said feed lever.

3. In a vending machine, the combination with a knife and means for intermittently actuating the same, an anvil cooperating with said knife and over which the ribbon is fed to the knife, a ribbon guide including laterally spaced rods connected to said anvil, an oscillatory feed lever provided with a pivoted head yieldingly held for pivotal movement under return movement of said lever and provided with a feed pin or projection engageable with slots in the ribbon, a tripping hook connected to said anvil and operating on said pivotal head to disengage the same from said ribbon under initial return movement of said lever, and means for oscillating said lever.

at. In a vending machine, the combination with a knife and means for intermittently actuating the same, of an anvil cooperating with said knife and over which the ribbon is fed to said knife, a presser foot carried by said knife and cooperating with said anvil to hold the ribbon when said knife is depressed, and a vibratory ribbon feeding I with ribbon guiding means, of a ribbon feedmg device operating on theribbon from be low said guiding means, and a brush operating to yieldingly press the ribbon onto said guiding means and into engagement with said feeding device.

6. In a vending machine, the combination with a vibratory knife and a cooperating anvil, of an oscillatory ribbon feeding lever, a brush operating to yieldingly hold the ribbon sub ect to the action of said feeding lever, an operating lever and connections therefrom for moving the said knife and said feeding lever with properly timed actions in respect to each other.

7. In a vendin machine, the combination with ribbon feeding means, of a knife and means for actuating said knife comprising a spring tending to impart operative move ment thereto, a lever connected to said knife, a tripping bar connected tosaid lever and capable o swinging movement, a rock shaft, an arm carried by said rock shaft and operative on said tripping bar to move said knife against the tension of its actuating spring and then to release the same, and having a cam action on said bar, under return movement, whereby the said arm and bar will reassume normal relations.

8. In a vending machine, the combination with ribbon feedin means, of a vibratory knife, a spring ten ing to impart operative movement to said knife, a lever connected to said knife, a tripping bar pivoted to said lever and depending therefrom and capable of swinging movement at its lower end, a spring tending to hold said bar against swinging movement, a rock shaft provided with an arm operative on the lower end of said tripping bar to raise said knife, and a cam block operative on the lower end of said tripping bar to swing the same laterally out of engagement with said arm, the said arm and tripping bar having cam surfaces whereby, under upward movement, said arm will cam itself past the lower end of said tripping bar.

9. In a vending machine, ribbon feeding means comprising an oscillatory lever, the head of which is engageable with said ribbon, means for positively limiting the oscillatory movement of said lever, and means for oscillating said lever, including yielding abutments.

10. In a vending machine, ribbon feeding means comprising an oscillatory feed lever, the head of which is operative on said ribbon, stops for positively limiting the oscillatory movement of said lever, a rock shaft, an arm carried by said rock shaft, a link connected to said feed lever and yielding abutments applied to said link and subject to the arm of said rock shaft, the said arm bein capable of a limited movement in passing from engagement with one into engagement with the other of said yielding abutments.

11. In a vending machine, ribbon feeding means comprising an oscillatory feed lever provided. with a pivoted head yieldingly held for pivotal movement under initial return movement of said lever and provided with a pin or projection en ageable with a' is given initial return movement, sto s for ositively limiting the movement 0 said ever, a rock shaft provided with an arm, a link connected to said feed lever and having yielding abutments with which the arm of said rock shaft is alternately engageable, the said am having a limited movement in passing from engagement with one into en gagement with the other of said yielding abutments, a normally loose operating lever, and means for locking said operating lever to said rock shaft.

feed lever provi ed with a pivoted headyieldingly held for pivotal movement in one direction, and having pins or projections engageable with slots or perforations in the ribbon, a trip hook operative on said feed head to release the same from the ribbon under initiahreturn movement of said feed lever, a brush overlying said guide rods and operative to hold the ribbon pressed downward thereon'and subject to said feed head, stops for positively limiting the movement of said feed lever, a rock shaft provided with an arm, a link connected to said feed lever and having yielding'abutments with which the arm of said rock shaft is alternately enga eable, a loose operating lever, and means or looking said operating lever to said rock shaft.

In testimon whereof I affix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

SIDNEY L. LONG. Witnesses:

E. C. GABWOOD, F. D. MERCHANT. 

